WIREDGOV

Staff at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents are celebrating after the safety charity achieved a Gold Investors in People standard - an accolade that puts it in the top five per cent of organisations taking part in the rigorous IIP programme – as it prepares to mark its centenary.

RoSPA, which has its headquarters in Birmingham and offices in Cardiff and Edinburgh, has been at the heart of accident prevention in the UK and around the world for 100 years. Employing 120 people across home, road, occupational, leisure and education safety, its mission is to save lives and reduce injuries.

RoSPA was awarded IIP – which helps organisations to invest in their workforce - in 1999. It is the second time the charity has received the Gold Standard having first achieved it during a renewal process in 2013.

Jenny James, RoSPA’s HR officer, said: “As a relatively small charity, we are absolutely thrilled to have received this prestigious award. We’ve been on our Investors in People journey for 17 years and to join the small proportion of organisations that have achieved the highest standard is a reflection of the hard work of everyone across the organisation. It has given us even greater determination to take forward our mission to save lives and reduce injuries, with our employees recognised as being at the heart of everything we do, and valued as such.”

Errol Taylor, RoSPA’s deputy chief executive, said: “For the past few years in RoSPA, led by our inspirational CEO Tom Mullarkey, we have been on a journey together - to try to make the very best of our charity and its employees, for the benefit of the people we serve. We bring to our work the passion, belief and commitment in which, largely unseen by our ‘audience’, we help to keep every man, woman and child in this country free from the misery and trauma of unintended injury and death - which devastates families and communities.

“Investors in People have shared this journey with us, acting as both critical friend and cheerleader. It is simply marvellous to have our achievements as a team recognised once again externally by them. We could not have done this without the superb contribution of our HR team and every single member of the team at RoSPA, who also deserve a collective pat on the back.”

Staff from across RoSPA took part in the process to achieve the Gold standard, and a wide range of initiatives were recognised by IIP, including: the RoSPA Academy - a junior management development programme; the RoSPA Encomium - a staff recognition scheme; improvements to the appraisal system and training opportunities; employee surveys; lunch seminars at which different departments showcase their work and focus groups.

Betty Bullock, from IIP, said: “Through its continuing achievement of the Investors in People Gold Standard RoSPA has demonstrated how it successfully leads, supports and manages its people effectively.  With a community of 14,000 organisations across 75 countries, successful accreditation against the Investors in People Standard is the sign of a great employer with a clear commitment to sustained success.”